[Holiday Memories] Classic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe

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The local-style Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is a quick and easy cold pasta salad recipe which uses lots of mayonnaise and easily customizable with favorite mix-ins. It is a staple of a typical Hawaii-style plate lunch and honestly, so simple to make that no specific instructions are needed at all. Just a few guidelines and you are good to go! Enjoy!

Back in April 2011, we took a trip of our lifetime; a memorable travel experience vividly remembered even to this day. It was a 7 day cruising adventure to all islands of Hawaii and was our first time being on sea for such a long period of time.  We were both ecstatic and terrified. The ship hopped from one island to another during nights and the day time was filled with activities of our chouce. Whale watching in Oahu? Check. Breathtaking sunrise at Haleakala Mountain in Maui? Check. Epic helicopter ride to see the lava flowing out of an active volcano on the Big Island? Check. All of these and much more. Here are a few shots from our Hawaiin outing.

Pride of America cruise ship

Sunrise at Haleakala Mountain (Maui)

Soaking in Waikiki Beach (Honululu)

Breathtaking blue waters at a beach in Oahu

Hula dancers

a knick knack on display at Kauai

You might be thinking: Why this chit-chat about Hawaii suddenly? Because, the theme for Recipe Redux for August is a Vacation-Inspired Recipe.

"Start unpacking your favorite vacation memories. Think about a trip you took state-side or internationally and create a healthy recipe from an unforgettable meal you enjoyed. Or, create a recipe from a native ingredient you saw or tasted on your travels"

...and while traveling on road in Honolulu, we stopped for lunch at a local diner. A big scoop of macaroni salad was served and its taste still lingers in my mouth. The macaroni in the salad was super soft and coated with mayo. Vegetables like carrots and onions gave texture and there was also a hint of vinegar. The memory of the salad lived and I started googling the recipe for Recipe Redux challenge. Getting the proportions right is the key and am so glad I have a handy recipe now. 

I made a big batch thrice until now and ate for breakfast, lunch & sometimes dinner. Hey! What can one do if the pasta salad is so so good. :-)

Below are few other easy salad recipes from this blog:

Noodle (Pasta) Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing
Roasted Beet Salad with Yogurt Dressing 
Black-Eyed Pea and Stewed Tomato Salad 
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with Lemon dressing

Classic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe 

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Adapted from Hawaii Magazine

Category: Soups & Salads
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
Serves 4 to 5

Ingredients 

1 pound of macaroni
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup of shredded carrots
1/4 cup of onion, very finely chopped (recommended: shredded)
2 1/2 cups of mayonnaise (Best Foods or Hellman's)
salt & pepper

Preparation

Cook macaroni as per package instructions - al dente (if you prefer) or really soft and fat (like the local-style). Transfer macaroni into a bowl.

Add flavoring: add apple cider vinegar and onion while the pasta is hot. Toss gently.

Add mayo: You can use the entire 2.5 cups or less as per your taste.

Add mix-ins: Add whatever additional mix-ins you want to add: carrots, hard-boiled eggs, celery, watercress, spring onions etc.

Add seasoning: Finally add salt & pepper. Stir well, cover and refrigerate.

Did you like this recipe? Are you craving for more? Keep in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for updates on books I read, artwork, future blog posts and much more. You can also Subscribe to Cooking With Siri feed for automatic notifications and if you are looking for some inspiration, check out Cooking With Siri Recipe Index which has more than 500 recipes, neatly categorized. Happy Cooking!

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until next recipe,